weasel. (vertebrate zoology). The common name for at least 12 species of small, slim carnivores which belong to the family Mustelidae and which have a reddish-brown coat with whitish underparts; species in the northern regions have white fur during the winter and are called ermine.
If you or your child has strep throat, your doctor will likely prescribe an oral antibiotic. If taken within 48 hours of the onset of the illness, antibiotics reduce the duration and severity of symptoms, as well as the risk of complications and the likelihood that infection will spread to others.
An advantage of this option is that if the infection is indeed strep, 24 hours on an antibiotic renders the patient noncontagious, allowing a return to school or work after just a dayâs absence. With or without treatment, Dr. Bisno said, strep infections are limited, and most people are better within three or four days. Furthermore, he said, it is safe to wait several days â and perhaps as many as nine days â before starting antibiotic therapy without compromising the chances of preventing rheumatic fever.